LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1736, 4 October 1917, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The trout Ashing season opened on Monday. Members of the Presbyterian Ladies’ Social Guild spent a most enjoyable afternoon at the residence of Mi’s J, MeColl, Main Street, yesterday.

, Owing to a counter-attraction, 'the scholars of the local Presbyterian Sabbath school have" postponed their concert till Friday of nest week.

Sunday next is to be observed as a national day of prayer, in connection with the war, and a united service has been arranged to be held in the Town Hall, at 7 pan. Mr Edward Jones, one of the pioneers of Auckland, died at his residence, Mount Eden, on Saturday. Mr Jones was born in Ireland in 1821), and arrived in Auckland in 1854.

The steamer Himitangi, which has been held up in Wellington since the commencement of the seamen’s dispute, signed on a new crew on Tuesday and sailed for the Chatham Islands with passengers and a full cargo.

Dr Thacker used the word “slinter” in the House on Tuesday night. “What’s a ‘slinter?’ ” asked a member. “A slinter,” replied Dr Thacker,'“is method used by the Defence people to get out of a difficulty.” -

Messrs Billens and Kerslake took over the control of the Levin Chronicle on Monday. Judging by the new proprietors’ iirst issue, our neighbouring town will be well served by the new proprietors. We take this opportunity of wishing the new proprietors every success.' Kriss Jensen, the Russian suspect, has been remanded at Melbourne on a charge of deserting from the Port Kembla on September 12th, It appears Jensen joined the Port Kembla in England as a greaser, and,worked aboard her untiUkglast"moment before the vessel sailed.

The Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) stated in the House of Representatives on Monday night that he had 'made a mistake when he said, that Second Division Reservists of the age of 43, 44, and 45 would not be sent out of the country; what ho should have said was those reservists of 44 ami 45 years of age.

The average attendances at the local State school during the past four weeks were: 352. C, 357.9, 355,7, 333.1. The average for the whole period was 349.8 out of an average roll of 38-7.2. The average for the quarter ended 30th September was 332.05, out of an average roll number of 383.08.

A reservist named George William Clarke was charged in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday with failing to make application to be enrolled, and also assuming the name of George Parker without the consent of the Minister of Internal Affairs. He entered a. plea of guilty. A penalty of £lO,. with the alternative of two months’ imprisonment was imposed. Rev. E. Robcrtshawe, of Danncvirke, died in (he surgery of a local doctor, whom he had gone to consult. on Sunday. The late Mr Robcrtshawe is survived by a wife and family of four —Miss Robertshawe, Mr R. 11. Robcrtshawe, barrister, of Dannevirke, Private Kenneth Robcrtshawe, of the Army Service Corps (Twelfth Reinforcements), and Rev. Noel Robcrtshawe, a chaplain on service in Prance.

Men drawn in the Ist to Oth ballots inclusive, and all Section 35 men, who have been classed C2, whose papers on examination have shown that they are worth further medical examination, have now been notified to parade before the Special Examining Board on dates up to and including 18th December. This applies throughout New Zealand. Men drawn in the later ballots and C2 volunteers will not be called up for re-examination until after 18th December, when the Special Examining Board will start a second tour of the Dominion.

A new regulation has been gazetted dealing with soldiers’ mortgages. They provide: —1. Without the leave of the Attorney-General, no person shall exercise any power of sale conferred by any mortgage, bill of sale, dr other security over the property of a soldier, whether such mortgage, bill of sale, or security was given before or after the mak-. ing of these regulations, and whether the person whose property is subject thereto became a soldier on or after the date of the mortgage, bill of sale, or security.

Quite a number of scholars attending the local State school from a distance use bicycles. Application was made by the Committee to the Board some time ago for the erection of a bicycle stand, but the Board refused the request. The bicycles take up a fair amount of space in the quadrangle, and cause inconvenience. Mr Strickett, the woodwork instructor, has agreed to instruct the boys in erecting a suitable stand at the back of the school, provided the Committee find the material;

A sensational motor ear accident, unaccompanied by serious results, happened at Barker’s railway crossing north of Winchester last week, states the Temuka correspondent of the Lyttelton Times. Two men in a motor car were coming from Orari to Winchester, and had reached the crossing where the road and railway line converge somewhat sharply, when the express from Christchurch, coming behind, cut the tyre clean off the right front wheel and threw the car spinning round clear off the line. The men did not receive a scratch. They had a miraculous escape from death. The car was somewhat damaged, and the projecting arm that carries the tablet on the railway engine was torn off, _

Mr Watkin, the Board’s drawing instructor, visited the local State school, on Tuesday. *

The Customs revenue for the month of September shows a serious decline as compared with that of the corresponding month of last year, the collections falling from £320,082 to £164,052. . The excise duty in beer, however, advanced from £11,822 to £10,707.

Among the gifts to the Oroua Downs and Himatangi Soldiers’ Christmas Parcel Fund was a horse donated by Mr Davey, which realised £7, and a cheque from Mr Geo. Coley. The Society forwarded twenty billies packed with cake, tobacco, etc., to soldiers at the front. There are practically no crops of early potatoes locally this year (remarks the Auckland Herald), the continuous wet weather having prevented growers from preparing the ground until long after the usual time for planting. Enquiries from farmers elicited the information that several growers in the Pukckohe district and other potatogrowing localities, who had planted small crops at the usual period, had lost them as a result of blight. The recent dry spell, it was stated, had afforded the opportunity to get crops planted, but these will be much later than usual, and very few new potatoes will be on the market before Christmas. Fortunately Southern potatoes of excellent quality are plentiful, arid there should bo no scarcity locally, notwithstanding the shortage of local crops.

. Speaking to a pressman at Wellington regarding a notice he bad received that be bad been called up in the ballot, Mr P. Webb, member for Grey, said be was elected three months after war broke out, receiving probably the largest soldiers’ vote in New Zealand. Soldiers and their dependents expected him to look after their interests in the House. lie had made it plain from the platform that if at any time his constituents thought his place was at the front, instead of in Parliament, lie would resign upon receipt of a requisition with the signatures of 1,000 of the electors of Grey, and contest the seat to ascertain the general view. No requisition had come to hand. “My action,” said Mr Webb, “will be determined by the organisations responsible for my presence in Parliament.”

The postal officials at Marton recently failed to pay the gas bill within the time allowed for discount, and when the full amount was charged the Town Clerk’s staff was blamed because the amount was not collected at the Post Office counter. The Town Cleric took up the stand that it is not incumbent upon him, or any member of his staff, to go out collecting gas accounts. Consumers know where the office is located, and the time allowed for discounts, and if they fail to take advantage of the privilege it is their own lookout. The Council has decided to take drastic steps to compel the Government to pay up, the following resolution having been passed: “That notice be given to the officials of the Drill Hall and the Post Office that if (heir gas accounts for the month of July are not paid within seven days the gas will be cut off.”

On Saturday moiming the people of Palmerston and Shag Point were amazed to find that the cairn, erected on the top of Pukehewctahi Hill, in memory of the late Sir John Mackenzie, had fallen (reports the North Otago Times). The collapse is so complete that, viewed from the railway, there does not appear to be one stone left standing. Nothing is to be seen but a huge pile of stone and mortar. This cairn was erected 16 years ago by the people of the whole Dominion, subscriptions, large and small, coming in freely from North Cape to Bluff, testifying to the esteem in which the late Minister of Lands was held by the people. It did not really require the cairn to keep his memory green. His work in breaking up the large estates which blocked the progress of the country and in laying firmly the foundation of the lands for settlement policy of New Zealand, as well as the thousands of smiling homesteads throughout the land, is a more fitting monument to the man who devoted his whole political life to further the progress, of his adopted country." It may bo interesting to mention that the cairn was over 60ft. in height, and its estimated weight was 6,000 tons. The cairn stood on the highest point of the late Sir John Mackenzie’s property, and commanded a very fine view of the whole of Shag Valley, where he began and-ended a long and honourable career.